The opioid epidemic represents the worst public health crisis in recent memory. The statistics are staggering. Over the past five years, more than 200,000 Americans have died from opioid-related causes. Now the crisis has spread to regions such as Germany and France. Cause of Death: Unknown follows the sinister scourge of opioid addiction, investigates its toll on communities across America, and uncovers the culprits behind its deadly spread.
The film opens in the opioid capital of the United States — West Virginia — which is battling some of the highest overdose rates in the country. We see a woman lay flowers on the grave of a friend who died of drug addiction. She herself was not able to escape the illness. Her addiction stemmed from doctors repeatedly prescribing OxyContin, and she quickly turned to selling the drug to support her growing habit. She may be partially responsible for the deaths of some of her friends.
The film shifts the perspective from the deeply personal stories of opioid addicts to the sprawling industry that profits most from their pain. It is particularly effective at portraying the scandalous collaboration between members of the medical community and opioid maker Purdue. The company encouraged doctors to prescribe stronger medications, flooded them with well-paid speeches, and effectively boosted the addiction business. The film features insights from a corporate whistleblower who further describes their shady tactics in harrowing detail.
Your day of reckoning may be approaching. More than 1,000 communities are filing class action lawsuits against the largest drug dealers for $500 billion a year. The aim is to hit where these companies are most vulnerable: the deep-pocketed. Participants agreed that this is the only way to achieve meaningful policy change. “Money drives everything,” explained a lawyer on the case.
In the final scene, Cause of Death: Unknown travels outside the United States to learn more about personal stories of loss and devastation, and the steps being taken to stop what appears to be a global addiction apocalypse.
Directed by: Carmen Butta
